"Just give me my money" is a prank TikTok trend where people record themselves in a group saying the phrase “just give me my money” in a silly voice before applauding—but always leaving one person out of the applause when it's their turn. There are always at least two people in on the prank, although there can be more, and typically just one person being pranked.
The 'Just Give Me My Money' TikTok trend, explained
The "just give me my money" TikTok trend can be confusing if you don’t have any context. The people in on the prank go around the group singing the phrase, “Just give me my money” while making a gesture with their hands, and then everyone applauds. When it is time for the victim of the prank to take their turn, no one applauds, leaving the person being pranked confused and asking what they did wrong. The #justgivememymoney hashtag has accumulated over 25K likes since its inception
As a prank, it is a relatively harmless one, although it can still be hurtful to some, regardless of the harmless intent of the prank.
'Just Give Me My Money' and Kai Cenat
The very first iteration of the “just give me my money” trend comes from a January 12th, 2024 livestream by Kai Cenat where he and his friends sang the phrase to rapper DreamDoll, giving her directions on how to pose and sing the phrase. It is unclear if Kai Cenat and his buddies were trying to pull a fast one over rapper DreamDoll, although their laughter and posturing in the clip do seem to suggest that is the case.
Some folks online speculate that the “just give me my money” phrase is a reference to the “Take the Shot” scene from the 2002 film Paid in Full, seen below. In it, the actors bet on throwing crumpled-up takeout bags into a trash can across the room, with the phrase “give me my money” said several times in quick succession through the end of the clip.
TikToker @vrewls’s fan account shared a clip of the "Just give me my money" Kai Cenat livestream, which he has repeated with other guests after it blew up in popularity, with over 8.9 million views on the stream clip.
The prank trend didn’t become popular until TikTokers @lacy and @stablerenaldo, who appear to be fans of Kai Cenat, used it as a prank in August 2024. It was so popular that they started pranking others, causing other TikTokers to latch onto it to prank their friends and family.
In an August 3rd, 2024 video, Lacy posted a recap video on his TikTok page about the origins of the “just give me my money” prank took off.
A.J. & Big Justice do the 'Just Give Me My Money' prank
Viral Florida-based father-and-son duo A.J. and Big Justice (aka the "Costco Guys") also got in on the trend, with nine family members applauding for one another, then leaving Lulu hanging.
Will Smith and Idris Elba also fall victim to the prank
Actress Akira Akbar shared a TikTok pranking Will Smith, captioning the video "He did not get his money."
Meanwhile, actor Idris Elba was pranked by his wife and daughter, who captioned her TikTok, "He's such a little brat sometimes."
More trend examples
Negative reactions to the 'Just Give Me My Money' prank
A lot of people on TikTok are outspoken against the "just give me my money" prank trend, saying that it is a bullying tactic and can be very hurtful for the person who is being made the butt of the joke, like the little kids in the clips below.
As TikToker @babblinbradley explained in their video about the trend, it is important to be considerate of others' feelings, and when a trend is a prank, it can be harmful whether it is intended to be or not.
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